Joseph j



LJ. WALSER.

INKING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 1911.

Patented Aug. 19, 1319.

' miness rm: COLUMIHA PLANOIJRAP" cu. WASIHNGTON. n. c.

; UNITED STATES PATENT, oFFIoE.

JOSEPH J. WALSER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOSS PRINTING PRESS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01 ILLINOIS.

INKING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19', 1919.

Application filed January 22, 1917. Serial No. 143,760.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. WALsER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefu1 Improvements in Inking Mechanisms, of which'the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in inking mechanisms, of the type inwhich a supply of ink is fed to a form cylinder by means of a plurality of form rollers, and it is the principal object of my invention to provide a form and arrangement of parts by reason of which the greater portion of the ink delivered to the form cylinder is delivered thereto by the form roller which first engages the form after the impression. In prior construction, so far as I am aware, the arrangement has been such that the No. 2 roller considered in the order of contactof the rollers with the form after the impression, or some other roller subsequent to the No. 1. roller applies a greater amount of inkto the form than that applied by the No. 1 roller. In such prior constructions the No. 1 roller is so dry and sticky that it "takes up from the form the dust and dirt 30 which is deposited thereon during the run of the press, and such dirt and dust works backward gradually through the train of inking rollers until it is ultimately deposited in the ink fountain. As a result of my improved construction, by which a copious supply of fresh ink is carried by the No. 1 roller, such copious sup-ply of ink serves tocover up the dirt and dustupon the form and leaves it there to be deposited upon the web at the'neXt succeeding impression, so that the body of ink in the fountain is maintained much cleaner and fresher than is the casewhere the No. 1 roller is comparatively dry and sticky by reason'of carrying only a comparatively small amount of ink. Another object of my invention is to provide a construction and arrangement by which the No.1 form roller applies the greatest quantity of ink to the form, the No. 2 roller a smaller quantity, and the remaining form rollers progressively diminishing quantities successively in the order of their contact 1 with the form, the arrangement being suchthat the quantities of ink delivered. by the form rollers later in succession pass through paths of increasing length from the fountain to the form. A further object of my invention is to improve inking mechanisms in sundry details hereinafter pointed out. The preferred means by which I have accomplished my several objects is illustrated in the drawings and is hereinafter, specifically described. That which I believe to be new and desire to cover by this application is set forth in the claims.

Thedrawing is a; diagrammatic view of an apparatus embodyin my improvements as seen from one side Ioo'king toward the ends of the form cylinder and the inking rollers.

In the drawing, 10 indicates a form cylinder adapted to carry a form of any appropriate description and in the arrangement illustrated, being adapted to be driven in counterclockwise direction by any suitable means. Form rollers 11, 1'2, 13 and 14; are revolubly mounted in contact with the form cylinder 10, such rollers being driven in clockwise direction. As will be appreciated from an inspection of the drawing, the form roller -11 is the No. 1 roller considered in order of succession of contact with the form after an impression, roller 12 is the No. 2 roller, roller 13 is the No. 3 roller, and roller 14; is the No. 1 roller,the impression taking place between theform cylinder 10 and an impression cylinder 15 of any suitable type. Intermediate transfer rollers 16, 17, 18 and 19 are revolubly mounted in contact with the form rollers 11, 12, 13 and 1a, respectively, all of such, rollers 16 to 19 being, in the illustration, driven in counterclockwise direction. A distributing roller 20 is revolubly mounted in contact with the roll ers 16 and 17 and a distributing roller 21 is revolubly mounted in contact with the inking rollers 18 and 19, the rollers 20 and 21 be ing driven in clockwise direction as indicated by the arrows upon such rollers.

An inking roller 22 is revolubly mounted in contact with the inking roller 20, and a distributing roller 23 is mounted in contact with said roller 22, the roller 23 being driven in clockwise direction, as is indicated by the arrow on said roller. A suitable supply of ink is delivered to the distribut roller 23 from an ink fountain 24 by a train of inking mechanism comprising a fountain roller 25, a ductor roller 26 adapted to be shifted back and forth by any suitable mechanism not shown, and inking rollers 27 28 and 29, the latter roller being in contact with the distributing roller '23. The distributing roller 23 is also in contact with an inking roller 30' from which ink is fed to the dist-ributingroller 21 by a train of inking rollers 31, 32, 33 and 3 1.

The rollers above described are all driven in proper timed relation to the form cylinder 10, the preferable formof driving being by-the uscof a gear 35 which is driven by suitable connection with the form cylinder 10.7, By reason of the gears by which the several rollers are driven being of the same size as that of the corresponding rollers, such gears are 'not indicated in the drawing, but it is believed to be unnecessary to illustrate i'n'detail this construction which will be fully understood by all those'skilled in the art. The means for vibrating certain of the rollersare indicated in part, but it is not believedto be necessary to illustrate such features in detail, inasmuch as they form in and of themselves no part of my presentinvention.

With the distributing rollers 23, 20 'and 21 all being driven in clockwise direction tocorrespondto the counterclockwise direction of rotationof the form cylinder 10, the greater portion of the ink received by the roller 23 from the roller 29 will be delivered to the roller 22, with which it first comes in contact after its contact with the roller 29, a considerably smaller proportion of the inkbeing delivered by the roller 23 to the roller 30. In the same way the roller 20 delivers the greater proportion of the ink carried by such roller to the roller '16 with which the fresh supply of ink first comes in contact, a very much smaller amount of ink being delivered by the roller 20 to the roller 17. It will thus be seen that the freshest ink, and by far the greatest quantity, is delivered to the form cylinder 10 by the No. 1 form roller. 11, and that'a considerably smaller quantity is supplied to the form cylinder 10 by the No. 2 form roller 12. Of. the ink supplied to the roller 30 from the roller 23, all of which is delivered by the train of rollers as above described to the roller 21, the principal portion is de livered to the roller 18, with which the supply of; ink on the roller-21 first comes into contact injthe rotation of said roller, a comparatively much smaller amount being delivered by the roller 21 to the roller 19. Thus the formrollers 11 and 12 deliver the principal portion of the inkto-the form cylinder 10, the No. 1 roller 11 delivering a much greater amount than the No. 2 roller 12, while the form rollers 13 and 14 deliver form cylinder.

In the use of my improved inking mechanism, the copious supply of fresh ink delivered to the form by the No. 1 form roller 11 covers up the paper dust and other foreign matter carried by "the form. The smaller amount of ink delivered by the No. 2 form roller 12 serves as an auxiliary supply and does not pick up the foreign matter already covered by the ink delivered by the No. 1 roller; The ink delivered by the No. 3 and No. 1 form rollers travels by alonger path comprisingagreaternumber o-f vibrating rollers, whereby such ink is cut up finer and smoother by the time it reaches the form cylinder, andwhen applied thereto smooths and tempers the whole supply of ink on the form cylinder without increasing to any great extent "the quantity of ink carried thereby. Y

In dotted lines, I have shown still other form rollers36-37 rotating in contact with the form cylinder 10,- and in contact with inking rollers 3839, respectively, both of which in turn rotate in contact with an inking roller 40. In case the rollers 36 to 40 are employed, ink is to be delivered to the inking roller 40 from the inking roller 33 by a train of successively-contacting rollers comprising the inking roller 41. By reason of the direction of rotation of the inking roller 33 iii-clockwise direction as indicated by "the arrow on such roller, the major portion of the ink carried by the roller 33 is delivered to the roller 34, the inking roller 41 being adapted to take and to .pass on to the inkingroller 40 only such supply of ink as is not first taken by the roller 34 with which the supply of ink carried by the roller 33 first comes in contact. As will be readily understood, the major portion of thesmall supplyof ink carried by the roller 40 is delivered to the roller 38 with which such supply of ink first comes in contact in the rotation of the roller 10 in clockwise direction in the figure, the roller 39 receiving and passing on to the roller 37 only such ink as is left on the roller 10 after-the contact of such supply of inkwith the roller 38.

In the apparatus shown and described, both iron and composition rollers are used, arranged to alternate with each other, the rollers 27, 29, 22, 16, 17, 30, 32, 34, 1s, 19, 38, 39 and 41 being allprovided with a surface of iron, while the rollers 28, 23, 20, 11, 12, 31, 33, 21, 13, 14-, 3e, 37 and 40 are 311 provided with composition surfaces.

Byran inspection of my improved mechanism it will be seen that I have provided a train of successively-contacting rollers leading from the inking roller 27 to the form roller 11, from which train of rollers a plu ral-ity of auxiliary trains of SUCCGSSlVlY contacting rollers branch off,-namely, the auxiliary train comprising the rollers 17 and 12 and the auxiliary train beginning with the roller 30 and leading tothe form rollers 13 and 14:. It will be seen thateach of the rollers 30 and 17 hassecondary contact with the distributing rollers 23 and 20 of the train leading to the form roller 11, as compared to the primary contact of the rollers 22 and 16 with the distributing rollers 23 and 20, respectively; that is to say, by reason of the direction of rotation of the distributing rollers 23 and 20, the supply of fresh ink taken by such rollers from the preceding rollers of the train comes first in contactfwith the rollers 22 and 16 and later in contact with the rollers 30 and 17, whereby the secondary contact of the rollers 30 and 17 serves to take from the distributing rollers 23 and 20 onlythe surplus supply ofink not taken by the primary contact of the rollers 22 and 16. Thus it is clear that the entire sup-ply of ink delivered from the fountain 24: goes by primary contact to the form roller 11, except for such ink as is delivered by secondary contact to the several auxiliary trains branching off from the train leading to the form roller 11, and that only such ink goes to the. second pair of form rollers 13 and 14; as is not delivered by primary contact from the distributing roller 23 to the roller 22. It will be apparent also that only such ink would be delivered to the third pair of form rollers 36 and 37, if such form rollers were used, as was not delivered by primary contact from the roller 33 to the roller 34; that of the ink delivered to the pair of form rollers 13 and 14, the primary supply goes to the form roller 13 while only the secondary supp-1y goes to the form roller 14, and that of the ink delivered to the pair of form rollers 36 and 37 the primary supply goes to the form roller 36 while only the secondary supply goes to the form roller 37.

As. will be readily understood from an inspection of the drawing, in case dust or other foreign matter were picked up by the form roller 11 from the form on the cylinder 10, uch foreign matter, working its way back ward along the train of successivelycontacting rollers, would come into contact with the comparatively dry and sticky roller17 before coming into contact with the comparatively moist and less sticky roller 22,'with the result that such foreign matter would have a tendency to be diverted from its backward movement along the train and" to be carried with the secondary supply of ink to the form roller 12 from. which it would be again picked up by the form. In case such foreign matter worked backward past the roller 20 to the roller'23, such foreign matter would come into contact with the com-' paratively dry and sticky roller 30.before coming into contact with the comparatively moist and less stickyroller 29. The result is that there is a constant tendency to direct the foreign matter toward the'form' at each point of divergence of an auxiliary train so as to keep such foreign matter away from the fountain 24:.

So far as I am aware I am the first in the art to provide a practical and successful inking mechanism of the type described which operates to app-1y the freshest ink to the form roller first to engage the form as the form cylinder rotates, and thereby in large measure prevents the dust and dirt deposited onthe form during the run of the press from being transferred backward through the train of inking rollers to the ink fountain; also to provide a plurality of sets of form rollers supplied from a common source such as an inking roller in such mannerthat successively diminishing proportions of ink are supplied to said form rollers in the order in which they respectively engage the form. It will be understood, therefore, that niany of the claims hereinaftermade are generic in character and should be construed accordingly.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a rotary form cylinder adapted to carry a suitable form, two form rollers revolving in contact with the form on said cylinder, two transfer rollers revolving in contact with said form rollers respectively, a distributing roller revolving in contact with both of said transfer rollers, and an inking roller revolving in contact with said distributing roller.

2. The combination with a. form cylinder, of a plurality of form rollers successively engaging the form as said cylinder rotates, an inking roller rotating in the same direction as said cylinder, and intermediate rollers for transferring ink from said inking roller to said form rollers and arranged to supply the freshest ink to the form roller which first engages the form- 3. The combinationwith a form cylinder, of a plurality of form rollers successively engaging the, form as said cylinder rotates, an inking roller, a distributing roller in contact with said inking roller, and intermediate rollers for transferring ink from said distributing roller to said form rollers and arranged to supply the freshest ink to the. form roller which first engages the form.

4. The combination with a form cylinder, of a plurality of form rollers successively engaging the form as said cylinder rotates, an inking roller rotating in the same direction as said cylinder, and a plurality of series of intermediate rollers for transferring ink from said inking roller to said form rollers arranged to supply the freshest ink to the form roller which first engages the form. i i

5. The'combination with a form cylinder, of a pluralityof-forrn rollers successively engaging the form as said cylinder rotates, 13C

an inking roller, separate distributing rollers in contact with said inking roller, and intermediate rollers between said distributing and form rollers arranged sothat the freshest ink is supplied to the form roller which first engages the form. t v

6. The combination with a form cylinder, of a plurality of form rollers successively engaging the form as said cylinder rotates,

an inking roller, and trains of rollers be? tween each of said form rollers and said inking roller, each of'said trains compris-.

ing an even number of rollers so arranged that the freshest ink will be supplied to the form roller which first engages the form.

7. The combination with a form'cylinder,

cessively engaging the form as said'cylinder rotates, an inking roller, and a plurality of trains of rollers between said inking roller and said sets of form rollers respectively, said trains being arranged so that the freshest ink will be delivered to the first set of form rollers to engage the form and the rollers of each train being arranged to deliver the freshest ink carried by such train to the roller supplied thereby which first engages the form. v

9. The combination with a form cylinder, of a plurality of form rollers successively engaging the form as said cylinder rotates, an inking roller rotating in the same direction as said cylinder, and intermediate rollers for transferring ink from said ink- 1ng roller to sald form rollers and arranged to supply ink to said form rollers in suc-,

cessively diminishing proportions in the order in which said form rollers engage the form.

10. The combination with a form cylinder, of a plurality ofform rollers successively engaging the form as said cylinder rotates, an inking roller, a distributing roller in'contact with said inking roller, and intermediate rollers for transferring ink from said distributing roller to said form roller and arranged to supply ink to said form rollers in successively diminishing proportions 1n the order in WlllC-ll said form roller engage the form. a I

11. The combination with a 'form cylinder, of a plurality of sets of form rollers successively engaging the form as said cylmder rotates,

etween said inking roller.

an inking roller, and a. plurality of trains of rollers between saidinking rollerandsaid sets of form rollers respectiyely, said trains and the rollers of each train being arranged to supply ink to said form rollers in successively diminishing proportions in the order in which said form rollersengage the form.

12. The combination with a form cylinder, of' a plurality of form rollers successively engaging the form as said cylinder rotates, an inking roller, a distributing roller in contact with said inking roller and rotating oppositely .to the form cylinder, .two form rollers contacting with said form cylinder successively, and rollers between ,said distributing roller and said form rollers respectively operating to first supply ink to the form roller which first makes contact with the form and then to the other form rollers. I

13. An inking mechanism for a printing press having a rotary form cylinder comprising an ink fountain, and means for applying the freshest ink to the form in the first instance and then applying a plurality of successively diminishing proportions of fresh ink thereto :as the form cylinder rotates.

.14. The combination of a form cylinder adapted to carry .a suitable form, a plurality of form rollers adapted to revolve in contact with the form on said cylinder, an inking roller revolubly mounted adjacent to said cylinder, means for supplying ink to said. inking roller, and means for transferring the ink from said inking roller to said form rollers, comprising a train of successivelycontacting rollers leading from said inking roller tothe oneof the form rollers with which the form first comes in contact after an impression, and comprisingalso auxiliary trains of successively-contacting rollers leading from said first-named train to the other form rollers, the arrangement and direction of rotation of the several successivelycontacting rollers of the several trains being such as to direct the major portion of the ink .alongsaid first-named train and away from said auxiliary trains.

15. Theicombination of a form cylinder adapted to .carry a suitable form, a plurality of form rollers adapted to revolve in con tact; withthe form on said cylinder, an inking rollernrevolubly mounted adjacent tosaid cylinder, means for supplying ink to said inking roller, and means for transferring the ink from said inking roller to said form rollers, comprising a train of -succes-. sively-contacting rollers leading to the form roller which; is first brought into contact with the form after an impression, and comprising i also a plurality of auxiliary trains diverging from said first-named train at various points, thearrangement at each point which an auxiliary train branches 01% comprising a roller of the firstnamed train and a roller of the auxiliary train both in contact With another roller of the first-named train, the direction of rotation of Which is such that the supply of ink carried thereby comes first into contact' With the succeeding roller of the first-named train and that the roller of the auxiliary train is permitted to take only the surplus ink remaining after such prior contact.

16. The combination of a form cylinder adapted to carry a suitable form, a plurality of form rollers adapted to revolve in contact With the form on said cylinder, an inking roller revolubly mounted adjacent to said cylinder, means for supplying ink to said inking roller, and means for transferring the ink from said inking roller to said form rollers, comprising a train of successivelycontacting rollers leading from said inking roller to the pair of form rollers which are, first brought into contact with the form after an impression, and comprising also an auxiliary train of successively-contacting rollers leading from one of the rollers of said first-named train to another pair of form rollers, the arrangement and direction of rotation of said rollers being such that the entire supply of ink is delivered by primary contact between successive rollers to said first-named pair of form rollers except for such ink as is diverted by secondary contact and delivered to the remaining form rollers.

17. The combination of a rotary form cylinder adaptedto carry a suitable form, an inking roller revolubly mounted adjacent to said cylinder, a plurality of pairs of form rollers, means independent of said form rollers for transferring the supply of ink carried by said inking roller to said pairs of form rollers respectively, in successively smaller portions from the first pair in the order of their engagement With the form after an impression, and means for supplying the first roller of each pair with a greater amount of ink than the other roller of such pair.

JOSEPH J. WALSER.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. O. 

